Kotoko Through To Finals

Kumasi, Nov. 13 -- Kumasi Asante Kotoko qualified for the first African Confederation Cup final after a dramatic climax to Group A this weekend. The procupie warriors beat Al-Hilal of Sudan 3-0, in Kumasi to finish level on 10 points with Enugu Rangers of Nigeria, who drew 0-0 against bottom-of-the-table Petro Atletico of Angola in Angola

But Kotoko finished top of the table because and qualified for the finals based on direct confrontation results between them and Rangers

Going into today's matches, group A was a complex affair with three sides still in contention for the one spot in the two-leg final.

Enugu Rangers of Nigeria and Al-Hilal of Sudan topped the group level on nine points with Ghana's Asante Kotoko just two points adrift.

Kotoko needed a win and a result for Petro Atletico in Angola ... and that's what happened.

Nana Arhin shot the Porcupine Warriors into the lead after just ten minutes when he got on the end of a good ball from Michael Osei.

Kotoko dominated the game from there with Charles Taylor in impeccable form but failed to scored again until the 40th minute when Michael Osei added a second from a goalmouth melee.

The second half followed a similar partten with Kotoko playing all the chances and wasting them until Edmund Owusu Ansah added a third with a few minutes remaining to full time.

Enugu drew with Petro and thus the Porcupine Warriors from Ghana win the group as they beat the Nigerians 3-1 at home and lost 2-1 away.

Head-to-head records were needed to separate the Group A contenders with the possibility of Enugu finishing level on 10 points with Kotoko.

Hearts are heavily fancied to reach the African Confederation Cup final on Sunday. Hearts will have to beat Cotonsport of Cameroon at the Accra sports stadium tomorrow

GROUP A:

 P  W  D  L GF GA  Pts 
 Kotoko (GHA)         6  3  1  2  10  7  10  
 Enugu Rangers (NIG)  6  3  1  2 12  6   10  
 Al Hilal (SUD)       6  3  0  3  6  11   9  
 Petro Atletico (ANG) 6  1  2  3  5  9    5